2 Odisha ministers resign; Revenue Minister gets additional responsibilities

Bhubaneswar: A day after the resignation of two ministers from Odisha Cabinet, Revenue Minister Pramila Mallick today got the additional charge of School and Mass Education and Labour departments.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik allocated the two additional portfolios to Mallick, sources said.

Odisha Assembly Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha and School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash and Labour Minister Srikanta Sahu resigned from their posts yesterday amid speculation of a reshuffle in the Council of Ministers in the state.

Arukha sent his resignation to Odisha Assembly Deputy Speaker Rajani Kant Singh while Dash and Sahu sent their resignation to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, sources added.

“I have resigned from the post of Assembly Speaker over some personal reasons,” said Arukha.

Dash said he resigned from his ministerial post to devote himself in the organizational work of Biju Janata Dal (BJD). “My resignation has nothing to do with the outcome of a recent Zilla Parishad by-election in my constituency,” he added.

Patnaik had revamped his Council of Ministers, first time in his fifth term in Odisha, in June last year. The reshuffle exercise was effected a day after all the 20 ministers tendered their resignations to the Chief Minister.

It is the first incident in the political history of Odisha when all ministers were asked to submit their resignation.

As many as 13 cabinet ministers and eight ministers of state with independent charge were sworn in by Governor Ganeshi Lal.